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Thursday, April 05, 2012

crawfish boil balls

A couple of weeks ago I had the pleasure of attending a crawfish boil at one of St. Louis' best restaurants, Farmhaus. I love crawfish boils... it's a fun, communal, messy eating experience. Since I am constantly thinking about what I can make into balls, I was inspired to recreate these flavors in spherical form.

But how? I looked to the crawfish boil staple, potatoes, to be my base. Having made stuffed gnocchi before, I figured a potato dumpling dough would be perfect! And it was! All crawfish boil essentials are included... potatoes, corn, andouille and, of course, crawfish. And for seasoning I stuck with good ol' Old Bay. All that's missing is the mess when you eat them... but don't worry, you'll get the messy part when you make them.

Boil potatoes in salted water until soft, about 25 minutes. Let cool about 15 minutes until you can handle them. Carefully peel the potatoes. Rice the potatoes or mash them with a potato masher. Mix in the flour, corn starch and seasoning. Add the egg and mix. Use your hand to knead into a soft, sticky dough.

With plenty of flour on hands, grab about 1.5 Tablespoons of the dough and gently press it into a disk. Place about 2 teaspoons of the filling in the center of the disk and gently fold the sides up around the filling and form a ball. Repeat until dough is all gone. Do not skimp on the flour... the dough is very soft and sticky. Makes about 3 dozen 1.5-inch balls.

Place balls (in batches of 12 or so) in boiling water. When they float, let them cook another 2 or 3 minutes then remove with a slotted spoon. Repeat until all the balls are cooked. Serve as is with lemon and parsley OR saute in a skillet with butter (recommended)

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About Me

I'm a graphic designer who is obsessed with food. I love to cook at home, and I love to go out to experience some of the fabulous food St. Louis has to offer. I also love road trips, live music, photography, pretty plates, flip flops, kitties, bodies of water and beads.